Starter strip quest

[trapperbob]

My first super that I will use has just starter strips in it and was wondering if putting even undrawn foundation put between the starter strip frames would make them draw it out better.

[Understudy]

Not really.

It is more likely to cause uneven comb.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

[trapperbob]

Well, the idea is to make them draw it strait and the idea of using strips is all natural comb honey for packaging so any advice as to getting them to draw srtips strait would be great.

[Understudy]

Draw up a set of plans and submit them to the honeybee permit division. If they approve your request they will build straight combs. If not they will build crooked comb.

You can have foundation and have weird comb. You can have starter strips and have weird comb. You can have straight comb also. The bees will do what the bees want to do. Just keep and eye on them as they build it. You can always help adjust it if it starts getting weird.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

[Brian D. Bray]

Bees bound up in red tape can't collect honey.  If the planning committee won't approve the subdivision for each frame of comb, and City Hall won't issue the building permits it is bound to be a long summer.
Talk your bees into bypassing the site platting process and ignore the building permit requirement and just pay the fine in the fall.  80-100 lbs of honey should be just about right.

[Michael Bush]

One drawn comb in the center is nice.  One foundation in the center is helpful.  Every other frame doesn't always work out like you think.  They prefer their own and skip the foundation and draw nice thick natural combs on the strips that protrude into the areas with the foundation.  If you do it with drawn comb that isn't capped they just fatten the drawn comb up and don't even draw a comb in between.  It works in the brood nest though.